My Midnight Angel
by punkiemonkie
Summary: When Link is banished from Hyrule, he must meet with his lover in secret. But is it possible to keep their meetings a secret forever? What if her father found out that she was sneeking out to see an outlaw? --Link/Zelda. On haitus indefinitely--
1. Chapter One

(IMPORTANT NOTE-) This story is set right after The Ocarina of Time game and is Link's point of view. (P.O.V.)

(A.N.) This is my first ever Zelda fanfic. (YAY!) The main coupling in this is ZeldaXLink because I absolutely LOVE their chemistry in the games! They were so meant to be. I can't wait for the new Gamecube Zelda game! (Twilight Princess) And now onward with more important things…like the story.

**My Midnight Angel **

Chapter One

I could hear the lush green grass crumple under my worn leather boots as I dismounted my stallion and strode across the meadow towards Hyrule Castle. Epona whinnied to me as if to call out a wish for my good luck. I was grateful for my steed's concern, but I didn't need it. I had snuck into the castle a countless number of times, so I was now quite the professional at dodging the ever-watchful eyes of the dozens of guards that stood at their posts or paced around the many paths that led into the heart of the castle.

If only the King of Hyrule hadn't forbidden Zelda to ever see me, or banished me from his kingdom, then I wouldn't have to sneak around here just to see her. Although I'm pretty sure that even if I wasn't banished, he wouldn't want his daughter coming out with me in the middle of the night. Talk about an over protective father; just because he wants his daughter to marry some stupid, rich, stuck up prince instead of me, he won't even let me see her anymore.

As I strode down my usual off-road path, I spotted my old and dear friend, the usual guard that stood lazily at his post near the main entrance of the castle. I didn't duck down or even look for cover, for I knew that, as usual, my little guard friend would be fast asleep. Sure enough, I walked right past him only to hear snoring away. Too bad the rest of the guards that were posted outside of the princess's quarters weren't this easy to get past.

After slipping past the rest of the guards and hopping the ivy-covered stonewall, I landed almost directly under Zelda's bedroom window. As I gazed up towards my objective, I took a few silent moments to stare up into the sky and notice the enormous full moon and thousands of shimmering stars that surrounded it. This was an absolutely perfect night for what I hoped to accomplish.

After taking one last deep, calming breath, I reached back into my pack to retrieve my Ocarina. I took another shallow breath and put my lips to the Ocarina's opening. She may have already been asleep, but I was sure that she would awake when the unmistakable melody of the lullaby that her guardian played for her as a child reached her Elvin ears.

When I was finished playing the song, I put my Ocarina back in my pack and turned my eyes up towards her open window. A slight smile crossed my lips when her sleepy figure appeared in the windowsill. She was even beautiful when she was half asleep. After pushing back her white see-through drapes, and rubbing her sleepy eyes to clear her vision and focus on the greenish figure below her window, she called out to me.

"Link?" She said fairly loudly in her astonishment that I was standing there, but then quieted her voice so that none of the guards would be alerted of my presence. "What are you doing here?"

"Come down." I said while making a motion for her to join me with a wave of my now ungloved hand. Zelda had convinced me to stop wearing my leather gloves after I was finished with all of the fighting that I was obligated to do in order to save Hyrule.

"What do you mean 'come down'?"

I chuckled quietly to myself at her reluctance to join me. Zelda was never much of a risk taker. I was going to have to change that. "Come down out here and come with me!"

"Where?"

"I'll show you." I said slyly, not wanting to reveal the place of our destination. This mystery struck her curiosity and I could tell then that she was considering coming with me now.

"What if-"

"Zelda! Just come down here with me! Don't worry about anything, I promise I'll have you back soon and your father will never know."

She sighed and pretended to pout in defeat. She was always so cute when she was angry. "Fine. Just hold on for a second and let me get dressed."

I waited for a few minutes that seemed to be endless because I was eager to get off on our midnight journey. When she finally came back out and climbed down out of her window she wore her pants that she used when riding horses, and a light colored tank top. I loved when she wore her casual clothes. When she was in her normal attire, she always looked to fancy and proper. I also enjoyed the fact that her causal garments showed off a little more of her perfect porcelain skin. She had a flawless body, but I was thankful that she only showed it off when I was around.

Just when I snapped back out of my thoughts Zelda was giving me an intent look and I could tell that she had caught me starring at her again.

"Link… are you okay?" she asked while peering into my eyes and lightly touching my arm to make sure I was all right.

My hand went up to the back of my neck, one of my nervous habits, as I tried to regain my composure. "What? Oh…uh…yeah! I'm fine…really… Let's just go."

With that I took one of her small, silky-soft hands into one of my own, more coarse hands as I led her over to the block wall that I planned to go over. I was sure that I could use the wooden slats that were placed there for the ivy to grow on to get to the top of wall and then vault over. The problem was getting her over with me.

After I had managed to scramble up to the top of the wall, I reached my hand out so that she would be able to grasp on to it and pull herself up to where I was. That part worked out perfectly, but when I tried to stand up in hopes of being able to jump to the ground, my damn boot got stuck in a crack in the wall and it sent me stumbling backwards and onto the not-so-soft ground.

"AHHHHH! Umph-" In an instant I lay flat on back with all of my breath forced out of my lungs. Being quite pissed at this situation, and also extremely embarrassed, seeing as Zelda was standing right above me and had witnessed the entire incident, I mumbled angrily under my breath, "Shit…"

I could plainly see Zelda staring down at me while trying to look concerned for me, but also trying to contain the laughter that I could hear surfacing through her words that was most likely caused by my amusing predicament.

"Link…" She paused between her words to control her constant giggling. "Are you…okay?" She tried to cover her mouth to stop her barely controllable laughing but instead of preventing her laughter, she erupted into a fit of irrepressible giggles.

I sat up as far as I could without feeling the numbness and pain that now coursed through my ass and I attempted to give her the best death glare that I could possibly fake at the moment. As soon as I had propped myself up on my elbows, I was abruptly pushed back down to the uninviting ground as Zelda, who had apparently slipped off of the wall in the same way that I had previously done, landed right on top of me.

"Sorry Link." Zelda said while giggling lightly.

"No problem, Zel…No problem whatsoever…I'm fine…just dandy" I said pretending not to notice the intense pain that I was obviously feeling. Neither of us seemed to notice the awkwardness of the position that we were in for a few short seconds, but after that I became painfully aware of the fact that she was laying directly on top of me.

We both laughed nervously for a split second and when she turned her eyes down in embarrassment I could faintly see her cheeks turn pink in the full moon's illumination.

I found myself once again scratching the back of my head uncomfortably as I looked down at her body resting on top of my own. "I…uh…we better go…you know…if we want to get back before morning… I would hate to see what your father would do if he found out that you were with me all night…"

Zelda continued looking absent-mindedly downward and said, "Uh…yeah."

I stood up leisurely and brought her up with me so that we were both standing once again. After she finished brushing of some of the grass that clung to her clothing, she changed the subject. "So are you going to tell me where we're going yet?"

I flashed her a devilish grin while reaching for my Ocarina once again. "You'll see…" Zelda pretended to pout because I wouldn't tell her anything. "I want it to be a surprise. You'll love it, I promise." She rolled her eyes at me, but I knew that inside she was overwhelmingly excited.

I allowed my lips to rest on the opening of my trusty instrument that Zelda had given me as a child, and proceeded to play the tune, which Malon nicknamed Epona's Song. As I did this she peered into the horizon to search for my horse's approaching figure. For some reason that was unknown to Malon and myself, Epona took a liking to this song as a pony and I've used it to call her to me since then.

"There she is!" Zelda shouted while pointing her index finger towards the brown and white figure coming over a hill to our left.

I stashed my Ocarina away and greeted my stallion with a loving pat on her nose. "Hey girl!" I said while walking around to her side and motioning for Zelda to come stand next to me. As she walked past Epona, she gave her a warm smile and stroked her off-white mane. Zelda was just about as fond of horses as I was.

When Zelda was close enough, I grabbed her at her particularly slim waist and effortlessly lifted her up and onto Epona's back. She stared down at me for a moment and her sapphire eyes showed signs of astonishment; I guessed it was because she was surprised by the fact that I was able to lift her with no trouble at all. All those years of fighting with swords must have strengthened my upper body significantly, for I now had massive biceps that could easily be seen through my tunic.

I then placed my foot on one of her saddle's stirrups before cautiously mounting her to seat myself in front of Zelda. "Ready?" I asked while glancing back at her to make sure that she was holding on tight so that she wouldn't fall off as we rode.

While I turned my eyes back to the open, grassy meadow before us and held on to the reigns, her arms found their way around my torso and held on to me tightly. "Ready!" she said excitedly while smiling and hugging her body to mine.

She was so eager to get on with our late-night adventure that she didn't notice the uneasiness in the tone of my voice that was the effect of her being so close to me again. "Okay…but you have to promise to keep your eyes closed until we get there so it will be a surprise." Zelda complied with my request and promptly closed her beautiful azure eyes.

As we approached our final destination, I attempted to calm myself down and relieve my stomach of the nervous knot that had just formed. Why was I so nervous? I knew why: I was uptight because this was the night that I was finally going to tell Zelda how I felt about her. I was afraid that she wouldn't feel the same way as I do, and then she wouldn't want to see me again. This one night could ruin our entire friendship.

But I had to go through with this, even if I lost her forever. I couldn't live the rest of my life and not confess my feelings to her, I knew that could never work, I would never be completely happy, there would always be something missing. So this was it. I had made up my mind and I wasn't going to back out of it now. It was either all, or nothing. I either had her, or I didn't.

I pulled Epona to a halt as we reached our destination and turned to the remarkably stunning woman that sat behind me and was still latched on to my torso. "Are we here?" She asked me while still holding on to me and keeping her eyelids firmly pressed together like I had asked her to. Zelda was never one to ruin a surprise.

"Yeah, we're here. You can open your eyes now." I said as I dismounted Epona.

Zelda opened her oceanic blue eyes gradually and after blinking a couple of times and taking in the amazing scene that lay around them remarked almost breathlessly, "Oh Link…it's so beautiful." She dismounted Epona to join Link as she continued to look around in awe.

There, around us, stood dozens of tall, flourishing trees that created a sort of tunnel that she could see led into some sort clearing. I took her hand in mine and cautiously laced my fingers through hers. She didn't seem to notice that I was adding more of a romantic touch to holding her hand, rather than just taking her hand to lead her somewhere. I led her down the dim pathway to the place of our final destination.

When we entered the dimly lit clearing she seemed to be breathless, and so was I when I first found this magically romantic place. The clearing in which the two of us stood, was covered by lush, green and yellow grass, and was completely surrounded by huge, thick trees that reached high above us and left a sort of natural sky-light from which we could see thousands of bright stars and the full moon that illuminated the area and reflected off of the large, crystal-clear pool of water that held the now-blooming water lilies and dozens of brightly colored fish.

When Zelda finally spoke it was almost in a whisper. "Wow… It's unbelievable… How did you ever find this place Link?"

"I stumbled over it one day while I was riding Epona. Pretty neat, huh?" I asked as I turned to steal another look at her before she noticed that I was staring at her again.

"It's absolutely wonderful… But, why did you bring me here?" She asked as her eyes returned to mine once more.

I didn't want to tell her the real and most important reason now, so I strode over to the middle of the clearing and reluctantly let go of her hand so that I could sit down of a patch of exceptionally soft grass. She watched me as I sprawled myself out on the grass and put my hands under my head for support before she did the same. I liked the fact that just because she was a princess, she wasn't afraid to lie down on the ground with me.

I was quite surprised when she rested her head on my chest, so I decided to go on and answer her question to help and chase away the nervous knot in the pit of my stomach. "I brought you here so we could…uh…" I hesitated for a few seconds to stop myself from saying out loud what my mind was screaming which happened to be, 'I brought you here so we could make-out!' After telling myself to shut the hell up and come back to my senses before she thought something was wrong with me I turned to meet her gaze and blurted out, "I brought you here to…uh…look…at the stars!"

"Oh." She said while she turned her eyes back up to the sky as I breathed a sigh of relief that I didn't say something really stupid like what I was thinking, or worse.

Somehow, I thought I could sense a bit of disappointment in her voice and I vaguely wondered why, so I confronted her about it. "You sound disappointed."

She continued to gaze up into the sky, but said quietly and unsurely, "I'm not… It's just…" her voice trailed off and she continued to avoid my intent stare.

"What?" I kept looking her in the eyes, even though she wouldn't look back at me, hoping that she would tell me the absolute truth.

"Nothing. I love the stars and the moon… This is just perfect. Really." She turned to me now and produced a warm smile. I love her smiles. No matter what's happening, or how terrible or hopeless things seemed, one of her sunny smiles could make all of the bad things disappear.

I was going to fake a yawn so that I could put my arm around her, (One of the oldest tricks in the book.) but I was getting a little sleepy and a real yawn escaped my lungs so I took the opportunity to stretch out my arm and place it around her shoulders and pull her petite frame closer to me. I was desperately praying that she wouldn't freak out because of my movements, but I was pleased when, instead of jumping up and slapping me upside the head for trying to be fresh with her, she snuggled closer to my chest.

I figured that this was it. I had to tell her now or never. So I leaned forward and whispered huskily into one of her Elvin ears, "I love you, Zelda." There, I finally said it. Now it was up to her. It was all or nothing. Yes or no. I had her or I lost her. She either loved me back…or not at all.

She sat up and I soon followed. She looked deeply into my eyes and I could tell that she was nearly speechless from astonishment. "W-what did…you just…say…?"

I put my hand over one of hers and repeated myself, "I said I love you." She looked away from me, still in a complete state of shock, so I continued to explain myself even though I thought the statement, 'I love you' was pretty self-explanatory. "I fell in love with you the first day we met all those years ago and I've been constantly in love with you ever since." I sat there in complete silence while I eagerly awaited her response. My heart was beating wildly and I was beginning feel short of breath and I could feel my hand beginning to shake uncontrollably so I removed it from atop hers.

I felt like my heart was going to leap out of my chest until she finally looked back into my eyes and began to speak. "Do you mean that?"

Her blue orbs showed signs somewhat fearfulness. "Of course I mean it. I mean it with all of my heart, and all that I am. I could never, and would never lie to you Zelda. Especially not about something as serious as this."

Her concerned eyes suddenly welled up with tears that I could tell were from happiness. "I love you too, Link." She smiled up at me again and I couldn't help but grin back at her. (Did I mention how much I love her smiles?)

The last bit of all my nervousness vanished in that moment and I leaned forward and used my knuckle to tilt her chin up so that I could brush my lips against hers. Again I surprised her with another one or my quite sudden and unexpected movements, but she complied willingly. I placed one hand on the side of her delicate face and used my other hand, that rested on her slim waist, to bring her closer to me and pull her into my lap as I continued to press my lips to hers. While I massaged her lips with my own she snaked her hands over my broad shoulders and behind my head so that she was able to make light ministrations at the base of my neck.

After another few moments of this, I lightly began licking her bottom lip and she reacted by opening her mouth to let my tongue in. When she did this I immediately slipped my tongue inside and began exploring and ravishing the unexplored territory of her mouth.

I was a bit bewildered when she began to return my actions and use her own warm, velvety tongue to tangle with mine and explore mine; I was surprised, but I was definitely not complaining.

Quite a few times I moved down to nip and suck on her ear, neck, and collarbone, and for this I received a little moan or two from her silky-smooth lips as my reward for pleasuring her. She even did the same to me a few times.

We stayed like that for at least a half-hour, and by then we were both completely out of breath. I used my eyes to ask for approval and the look in her eyes told me that she was ready. So I lowered her down until she was lying on the cool grass beneath us, and I came down with her so that I was lying directly on top of her. We shared another passionate kiss before reached down to remove her shirt…

(A.N) Okay. I'm done with chappie number one. Sooooo… How did you like it? Please, PLEASE review to give me questions, comments, suggestions, criticism, or any other thoughts that you have on this fic!

THX-punkiemonkie


	2. Chapter Two

**My Midnight Angel**

Chapter Two

I awoke slowly to the sounds of small birds chirping their morning melodies and the quiet, almost inaudible sound of the small pool of water that lay just a few yards away from us. The morning sun had just begun to rise and the clearing was just barely light enough for me to see my surroundings.

When I allowed my eyes to creep open for the first time this morning, I looked down to find Zelda sleeping softly up against my body. Her head as well as one of her silky hands rested weightlessly on my bare chest. Some of the golden wisps of her hair tickled my exposed skin as it blew in the cool breeze that swept over our bodies. She stirred slightly in her sleep and hugged herself closer to the warm embrace that I had around her, allowing me to feel that her heart beat was in complete rhythm with mine. I leaned forward to press a light kiss on her forehead and to take in the pleasurable aroma of her cornflower hair that gleamed in the light of the sun as it crept up into the purple and pink streaked sky.

A small, muffled moan escaped Zelda's perfectly pink lips as she awoke in my arms. Her sapphire eyes fluttered open and she smiled warmly up at me. Again, I leaned down closer to her face, but this time I kissed her gently on the tip of her nose. She let out a hushed giggle into the soundless clearing in which we rested before she raised herself up to delicately press her lips against my own. When the few articles of clothing that covered our bodies fell away from Zelda's bare chest, my eyes must have widened significantly at her newly exposed torso because she giggled once again.

Zelda snuggled closer to my body, making me further regret the words that I knew must be said. I sighed and said huskily in my early morning voice, "We better get up and dressed so I can take you home before your father finds out that you're gone and alerts the whole kingdom of Hyrule."

She turned over and mumbled quietly, "Umm…mmm…" while she shook her head slightly in protest to my words.

One of my hands gently caressed her lower back while the other stroked her beautiful silky hair and the back of her neck. "Really Zelda. We have to go."

She didn't move to get up, but instead she moved to plant kisses on my chest, collarbone, and then up to my neck and earlobe, causing shivers of pleasure to run up and down my spine. Now I didn't want to leave even more, damn my secret weaknesses.

It took me a minute to regain my consciousness to what must be done before sunrise, which was all too near for me. "Come on Zel… Get up." I had always called her 'Zel' since we were children; it was kind of a little nickname that only I used for her.

She sat up and looked me in the eyes and pretended to pout. "Link…" she whined while giving me her big, sad, puppy-eyes, "Can't we just stay here a little longer…? Please…" At this time Zelda leaned forward to sit in my lap while she kissed me quite fervently and tickled my lips with her tongue. Somehow I just wasn't able to refuse her when she did things like this, probably because it felt so damn good.

My hood had already been discarded on the ground somewhere around us late last night so she took the opportunity to tenderly run her fingers through the wispy, fair-colored locks of my hair that fell in different lengths around my Elvin ears.

Zelda had always begged me to abandon my ever-famous forest green hood because she loved my blond hair to be exposed without it. It's not that I don't like my hair; I just always wore my hood because I was raised as a Kokiri, and that whole race of people wore green clothing and most wore hoods like my own. Even when I found out that I was not a Kokiri, but indeed a Hylian, I still wasn't able to give up the traditional Kokiri garments, even if I did get a lot of strange looks from the town's people of Hyrule.

She kissed me and I kissed her back until my lungs felt as if they were going to burst at any second. Finally we both pulled away from out passion-driven lip-lock in unison to take in a much need gasp of oxygen.

I panted for a few seconds until my breathing returned to normal and then rummaged around in search of my tunic and all of my other garments. I immediately missed the comforting warmth of her body next to mine. She looked slightly disappointed that I let go of her to get my clothes, but she soon gave up on me coming back to kiss her again so she got up and gathered her attire just as I was currently busy doing.

A few times I tried to glance over at her bare figure without her discovering me, but when she noticed that I was obviously staring at her, she came over to me and smacked me playfully on the back of my head. Zelda was never really the type to come up and slap someone when they made her mad, so this surprised me and struck me as unusual and somewhat funny. I chuckled lightly and she turned to face me and while trying to pretend to be upset with me, she snapped, "Shut up Link!" This made me laugh even more. Zelda always tried to act like she was mad at me, but I just thought it was funny, and really cute. Besides, I wasn't really laughing at her, just at the situation. I assume that she knew that, but she continued to shout at me anyway, "It was your idea to get up in the first place! Don't laugh! It's not funny!"

When I regained my composure I stood to put on my undergarments and tunic and replied, "I'm not laughing at you."

She stood as I did and also began to dress herself with her back turned to me in defiance. "Sure you weren't."

"Really Zel, I was laughing because I had absolutely no idea that you were going to hit me like that. It just surprised me and it happened to make me laugh, that's all." I now had on everything, including my tobacco, brown boots, but I couldn't find my hood anywhere.

She stood in front of me, fully dressed, with something in her hands, and hidden behind her back. A smirk was plastered across her lips, and I vaguely wondered what she was up to before she revealed what was hidden behind her back. I looked down to the object in her hands and was astonished to see that it was the object that I had been frantically searching for, my beloved green hood.

I glared up into Zelda's devious little eyes for a moment and then I lunged forward to try and tackle her so that I could retrieve my precious cap, but she shrieked and took off into a sprint in the other direction, leaving me empty-handed, for now... I ran over to the opposite side of the clearing where she stood cornered, and pulled her into a bear hug so she was unable to get away from me. She was giggling wildly while desperately attempting to wriggle herself away from my grasp.

When I began tickling her sides with the tips of my fingers, she erupted into yet another fit of giggles, but she managed to blurt out between her near-constant laughing, "Link… Stop! Stop it!"

I snickered to myself. "Ticklish are we?"

Now she was panting between laughs to try to speak. "No!"

She was still laughing which gave away that she was lying, she never lied to me, and she was bad at it. I always knew she was ticklish, I think just about everyone I have ever met is, but now I knew where her ticklish spot was, and I could use this knowledge to get whatever I wanted from her, which at the moment, was my cherished hat.

"S-stop! Link please…stop it…it tickles!" She was still squirming in my arms and giggling wildly.

"So are you going to give me back my hood now?"

"On one condition."

I cocked an eyebrow in curiosity and slowed my fingers' actions so she was able to speak. "And what might that be?"

Zelda turned in my arms to look me in the eyes with a smirk on across her lips. "Kiss me."

I smiled as I looked down into her incredible azure eyes. "Your wish is my com-umph." Her lips reached my own and I was cut off mid-sentence, not that I really minded at all. I could feel her lips form into a smile and when she pulled away from me she was grinning up at me fanatically. I guess she was as stunned as I was that this was actually happening. I never dreamed in a million years that we would end up together in this way, but again, I really didn't mind, in fact I loved it, or rather, I loved her.

Zelda reached up and returned my hood to it's home on the top of my head while never taking her eyes off of mine or disrupting her bright smile. She kissed me on the cheek and then I took her hand in mine and led her out of the clearing to where Epona rested lazily. When my steed finally noticed our presence she whinnied to welcome us. "Hey girl." I said while patting her snout and stroking her off-white mane.

Before I knew it, Zelda had climbed on Epona's back and was looking down at me. "Come on Link. Hop on."

"And what makes you think that I'm going to let you ride in the front?"

She put her hands on her hips in defiance. "Hey! I can ride a horse just as well as you can!"

"Fine." She smiled in satisfaction as I backed off and let her win our argument. "You can ride in front this time." I mounted my horse and took my place behind Zelda. "Just take it easy and don't go too faaaaaast!" I struggled to stay on my horse's back as Zelda thrust her heels into Epona's sides and she took off in the direction of the clearing's exit, leaving me barely hanging on. Zelda never did want to listen to me.

I took hold of her shoulders and hung on for dear life until we reached the side of the castle wall just as the bright morning sun began peaking out from behind the snow-capped mountains in the East. Zelda gently pulled on Epona's reins to slow her to a stop as I hopped to the ground. I decided to have some fun with her so I took a little bow and held my hand out to her so she could dismount my steed as I said with a somewhat English accent, "My lady."

Zelda rolled her eyes and hopped down next to me before giving me a little shove to let me know that she was slightly annoyed with my stupid joke. "You know how much I hate that stupid royal treatment crap."

"I know. That's why I do it." I laughed sarcastically.

She started to walk in the direction of the castle entrance and I followed behind her. At least she would be able to walk right in to the castle and get back up to her bedroom without any hassle from the guards. All she would have to say is that she went out for an early morning walk, and her personal guard and close friend Impa would back her story up and then escort her back to her quarters with no questions asked. Goddesses, she had it much easier than I did getting into the castle. Well that's probably because she lives there and I was banished.

I held her hand as we made our way along the huge stonewall that surrounded the castle towards the main entrance. At the last point in which we would be out of any of the guards' sight, she gave me a warm smile and a peck on the cheek before strolling into the interior of Hyrule Castle. I watched her as some of the guards approached her and frantically asked if she was okay and where she had been. She simply strode past them telling them one of the old lies that she used to get away with sneaking out when we were young and, as I had expected, Impa was there to conveniently usher Zelda back up to her room so she wouldn't get caught.

I let out a sigh of relief that we had gotten away with being out all night together. But just as I thought I was home free, when I my eyes reached the figure of my stallion, there stood none other than the King of Hyrule himself. My heart started beating wildly and it pounded in my ears with every beat. My stomach suddenly felt sick and I felt light-headed as though I was going to pass out. I wanted desperately to turn around and run as fast as I possibly could, but I had to take Epona with me. And besides, he had already seen my horse, so he obviously knew that I was here, what else could I do, but be a man and face him.

As I strode nearer to the two figures I could see that he was gently petting Epona on her nose, and, strangely enough, there were no guards there with him. Maybe it would be easier to try to explain where his daughter had been with me all night long if no one else was around. Yeah, right.

I stopped about two yards away from him and I took a hard swallow to try to swallow the nervous induced lump in my throat that was preventing me from speaking at the moment. Luckily, he spoke up first to break the silence. "Good morning, Link."

I was surprised that the tone of his deep, raspy voice contained absolutely no signs of anger and furthermore, he actually addressed me by name. My voice cracked and I stumbled over my words. "Uh…yeah…good morning to you too…Your Highness…Uh…or…Your Majesty…Mr. Hyrule…uh…Sir…"

He took a large step towards me and put his hand on my shoulder, I guessed that he was trying to make me feel more comfortable before he killed me. "Please son, call me Bob." He chuckled slightly and I laughed uneasily under his stare as he removed his hand. "Listen Link, I know we've had our differences, but…I have somewhat of a…proposition for you…"

(A.N.) Dun dun dun… What will happen next? Well…you'll just have to wait and see in the next chappie! Until then… please review!


	3. Chapter Three

**My Midnight Angel**

Previously… He took a large step towards me and put his hand on my shoulder, I guessed that he was trying to make me feel more comfortable before he killed me. "Please son, call me Bob." He chuckled slightly and I laughed uneasily under his stare as he removed his hand. "Listen Link, I know we've had our differences, but…I have somewhat of a…proposition for you…"   
Chapter Three 

I cocked an eyebrow in curiosity and disbelief. "Really?"

"More of a deal actually." He looked me in the eye now. "Look, Link… I know about…you and my daughter."

All I could think of at that moment was, 'Oh Goddesses I'm going to die now for sure!' I was positive that he was going to have me eaten alive by some huge rabid beast or burned alive or something equally horrible. I attempted to blurt out an excuse, but the only thing that came out of my mouth was, "Y-you…d-do…?"

He gave me a firm nod. "Indeed I do. I've known that you and Zelda had feelings for each other ever since you were children." I let out a huge sigh of relief. He was clearly unaware of the events that took place last night or he would have strangled me by now.

"I know that I banished you from my kingdom, but I know that Zelda really wants you here, so I have found a way in which you can stay here with her. You do a little favor for me…and you can come and go as you please throughout the land of Hyrule and see Zelda any time you wish."

My mind was laughing hysterically. Did he really think that something as stupid as a law and a silly little death threat was going to keep me from the woman I loved? Well, it would be nice to not have to sneak around anymore. Wait just a darn minute! If I was banished from Hyrule, and I was here now, why the hell wasn't he sending his guards to kill me for breaking the law that he made? He had to be up to something, but I had no idea what.

If truth be told, I really did want to be able to be with Zelda without sneaking around, and I eventually wanted to ask her to marry me, and there's no way we could get away with doing that in secret, so I decided to play along with whatever it was that he was doing.

"So…what do I have to do…?

As soon as 'His Majesty' was finished informing me of his 'deal', he allowed me to go up to Zelda's room and tell her the somewhat good news, although I knew she would be upset when she heard about what it was that I was obligated to do.

One of the palace's many guards led me up through the hundreds of stone steps and long, richly decorated hallways up to her room. Impa, from whom I got a curious glance and a subliminal 'hello', guarded the entrance of her room. The large wooden double doors that led into her room were at least two or three feet taller than I was and had shinning gold handles on them which Impa reached for and then called out, "Princess Zelda. There is a Mr. Link here to see you."

Zelda stammered in surprise that I was here to see her, "Y-yes…um… Please come in."

The door swung open and before me stood a huge brightly sun-lit room with enormous open windows and a smooth wooden floor that was almost completely covered by huge colorful rugs. Zelda's two small birds chirped quietly in their wire cage that sat in one corner of the room. A huge four-post wooden-framed bed was in the middle of the area. Red silk sheets were draped over her bed and dozens of different sized white pillows that were most likely were filled with some exotic birds' feathers were positioned at the headboard and the entire bed was surrounded by white, see-through curtain.

I stood in awe for a few moments before Impa jerked me back into reality when she shut the huge doors behind me and left the two of us alone to talk. Zelda, who sat on a ledge by her open window, greeted me happily but a confused smile rested on her lips. "Link, not that I'm complaining, but what are you doing here?"

"We need to talk." I guess my voice sounded a bit stern because her smile instantly vanished and her sapphire eyes were filled with worry.

"That…doesn't sound…very good." She stayed sitting where she was, so I strode over to the window, whose view was almost all of Hyrule Field, and I sat next to her.

My hand automatically went to the back of my head in pure nervousness at what her reaction would be to the offer that her father had presented me with. "Actually…it is kind of good, I guess it just depends on how you look at it."

"And what exactly does that mean?" Luckily her voice was more inquisitive that irritated.

"Your father… he…made me an offer. He told me that there are some small villages throughout Hyrule that are being attacked and occasionally burned to the ground by some leftover minions from Ganondorf's army. He said that if I go out and defend the villages for him, so that he won't have to send his army to do the job, then he'll let me stay here in Hyrule…with you…" I removed my eyes from hers and turned my gaze towards the floor.

"Link that's amazing!" She smiled from ear to ear and placed her hand on my arm in excitement, but I wasn't able to smile because I knew the rest of what I had to say. She looked into my eyes and sighed in concern. "W-what's wrong? This is great news…isn't it…?"

I attempted to sound more positive for her sake. "Yeah…but…"

"But…what?"

Her tone was more anxious now, probably because she wanted to know what was on my mind, and because she was more than likely expecting the worst. "If-when-I go to do this…it will take quite while…you know…time-wise."

"How long will you be gone?"

I looked back up into her eyes and smiled weakly. "At least three months, maybe more."

"A-are you positive it will take that long? I mean it's only a couple of little villages. How long could that possibly take for you? And why is my father making you do this?"

Her eyes were welling up with shinning, glassy tears and her rate of her speech was increasing rapidly; she always talked a lot when she was upset. I placed my hands on her shoulders and spoke firmly to try and calm her down. "Zelda, listen. I don't want to do this as much as you don't want me to do it, but I have to. It's the only way that we can ever be together…and that's what you want…right?"

She nodded halfheartedly and sniffed back a tear. "Yes…"

I brought one of my hands up to her cheek to use the pad of my thumb to brush away a stray tear that was rolling down her cheek. Her bottom lip quivered and more tears fell from her glossy azure eyes.

"W-when are you leaving…"

I sighed heavily. "Tomorrow morning." She began to cry more heavily now.

"Hey…Come on Zel… It's not that bad…"

"Yes it is. Three months is so long to be away from someone. And we've already spent so much time apart because of the whole Ganondorf trying to take over the world thing… I just don't want anything to happen to you."

"Zelda…I'll be fine…I promise…nothings going to happen to me. I won't let anything happen…I have to be here with you."

"B-but what if…"

I put my finger to her lips to stop her from further talking about all the bad things that could possibly happen to me. "Zelda… Nothing is going to happen to me. It can't. I'm going to come back to you. I promise. Three months will go by faster than you think…really"

She stopped sobbing and wiped her tears from her eyes. "Here." I said before taking out a gold locket with little roses and ivy etched into it and placing it in her hands.

"W-what's this for…?" Her eyes were wide with astonishment and happiness.

"It's a locket. My mother gave it to me when I was a baby, and when my parents left me with the Great Deku Tree, they asked him to make sure that I kept it. Apparently, my grandfather gave it to my grandmother, she gave it to my father, he gave it to my mother, my mother gave it to me, and now…I'm giving it to you."

"Oh Link…it's so beautiful."

"Open it." I urged her to look inside because was eager to see what her reaction would be.

When she carefully opened the tiny, golden locket she smiled at the inscription that was etched inside. In flowing cursive letters it read, '_I Love You Always_' with another tiny rose etched in on the opposite side of the words. I brushed a stray strand of golden hair away from her face so I was able to see her smile better before taking the locket from her hands and slipping it around her neck.

She continued to smile as she looked up into my eyes again and I pulled her into an affectionate embrace while whispering, "I love you Zelda. I'm coming back to you. I promise."

Zelda hugged herself closer to me and she sobbed into my chest so her words were muffled, "I love you too Link. So much."

After a few more moments of taking in the sweet smell of her hair and enjoying the warmth of her body against mine I knew it was about the time that I should get going if I wanted to leave by dawn the next morning. Regretfully, I pulled myself away from our embrace and rose slowly. "I better get going so I'll have enough time to get all the supplies I need before I leave tomorrow…" She nodded solemnly but I could tell that she understood.

I gave her a quick kiss on her forehead before turning to walk over to the door and leaving her sitting by the open window. Just as my hand reached the door handle, I turned and said slyly, "Oh, and, just one more thing." With that I darted back across the room to where she was and I kissed her passionately. When I let go of her features were overcome with surprise. I smiled to myself as I turned to exit her room. I'm sure that she was thinking something along the lines of "Damn! What got into him?" But I knew she wasn't going to say anything about it. I had a lot of work ahead of me and figured that that kiss was just a small portion of my 'reward' to come when I got back in three months.

(A.N.) Yay! Another chappie completed! I really appreciate everyone's reviews. I especially loved the longer reviews that gave me some instructive criticism as well as praise. And if you reviewers have a story that you've authored and would like me to read, just ask. I love reading all of your stories almost as much as I love writing my own.

P.S. –The whole king's first name being 'Bob' was supposed to be remotely humorous so I'm glad some of you enjoyed my petty attempt at humor.

-PunkieMonkie-


	4. Chapter Four

**My Midnight Angel**

Chapter Four

The next morning was the fateful day of my departure. Fortunately, the weather was nice; the sun was shining brightly and it lit up all of Hyrule Field so I was able to watch the little birds fly around and small furry animals like rabbits and squirrels play in the tall, light green grass as I galloped past them on my way to Hyrule Castle.

As I tugged on Epona's reins to slow her to a stop in front the castle where numerous guards as well as the king...err…Bob and Zelda stood, awaiting my arrival. When I was close enough to make out the solemn expression on Zelda's face, I felt like my heart was being torn out of my chest. Although she wore a bright smile, I could tell that she was hurting on the inside, not unlike myself.

Her eyes were glossy from the tears that escaped them and they were rimmed with red and slightly puffy. Poor Zelda, she had probably been crying all night. I really hoped that she wouldn't worry about me, but I knew that nothing that I could say or do would ease her worry that something terrible was going to happen to me while I was away.

I dismounted Epona and strode over to the approaching figure of Zelda. She threw her arms around my neck and she held onto me like she was never going to let go. One of my arms was at her waist, holding her closer to me, and the other arm was rubbing her upper back and stroking the back of her head occasionally.

When I looked to the king's face, he was glaring daggers at me. Maybe it was my imagination, but I could have sworn that right at that very moment, he wanted to kill me with his own two hands. Well, I was his daughter's boyfriend, and we were getting awfully close right in front of him. That had to be the reason why he looked as though I wanted to kill me in cold blood right then and there. He was probably just an extremely overprotective father. Besides, if he wanted me dead, he wouldn't have given me this opportunity to be with her…Right?

A few warm tears drained down her cheeks and soaked into the sleeve of my tunic that covered my shoulder. I pulled her back from our embrace and before she realized what I was going to do, I moved forward and pressed my lips firmly against hers and kissed her passionately.

After staying in that position for a few moments, I pulled back to look her in the eyes and said, "I love you." I said this loud enough for her father and everyone else that was standing nearby to hear. I thought maybe if her father knew that I loved her, he wouldn't be so protective of her, but he still stood there glaring daggers at me.

I could tell that she was still stunned that I kissed her like that in front of her father, so her words were slightly delayed, "I- I love you too, Link."

Without another second of delay, I turned to mount Epona, and kicked her in the sides with the heels of my boots and we were off on our way to the first village and the beginning of my journey. The last sight that saw when I looked over my shoulder in the direction of the castle was Zelda gazing off in my direction, waving slowly to tell me 'goodbye'.

"Don't worry Zel." I thought as Epona galloped away with me. "I'll be back here with you soon enough."

**Three Months and Two Weeks Later**

Epona trotted across Hyrule Field and pulled to a stop in front of the castle. To my surprise, the guards let me walk right past them after stating that the princess was in the garden playing her harp. It was strange; even though the guards let me past them, it almost seemed like they were surprised to see me. I was a bit late, but it was like they thought that they were seeing a ghost or something, like they didn't expect me to return.

When I reached the entrance to the garden, I saw that it was filled with hundreds of different colored flowers, ponds and fountains, and dozens of birds and butterflies that were fluttering and floating about. A beautiful melody flowed from what I assumed was Zelda's harp somewhere inside the garden, so I used my sensitive hearing to follow the sound to its even more beautiful owner.

By the time that I had caught up with the enchanting tune, I laid my eyes on Zelda who was sitting on an elegantly carved stone stool wearing a lavender colored dress with a matching ribbon holding her blond hair up and out of her face as it swayed in the early afternoon breeze. Her eyes were closed peacefully and her delicate fingers glided across the harp's golden strings to produce the angelic melody that had reached my ears when I entered the garden.

I took a few moments to just stand there and look at how beautiful she was before I spoke up. "Good afternoon, Princess." I said in a formal tone while taking a little bow like I had observed the guards doing on many occasions.

Her eyes shot open immediately when she recognized the sound of my voice. She looked in my direction and then got up and ran over to me. As soon as she was close enough to me, I picked her up and spun her around a few times before placing her back on the ground. I wanted to kiss her, but before I could react, her arms were around me and she was squeezing me so tight that it was difficult for me to breathe, but I didn't mind; at least I knew she missed me, and she missed me a lot so it seemed.

When her grip around my torso finally loosened, I took the opportunity to press my lips up against hers. My tongue moved over her bottom lip before working its way inside of her mouth. I continued to ravish her mouth and tangle with her tongue for the next few minutes, and then pulled away from our fervent kiss to get a breath of much-needed air.

Zelda smiled up into my eyes, Goddesses, how I had missed that smile when I was away. As her hand slid down from my shoulder, she managed to move her thumb over a fairly new gash on my upper arm. I pulled back a little as I winced in pain; normally I wouldn't let any physical pain like this bother me, but I had just gotten this wound a few days ago, so it was still a open.

She gently pulled up the sleeve of my tunic to reveal my injury and her eyes grew wider. "Link…you're hurt."

I tried to shake off her worry. "Really Zel. It's nothing. Don't worry about it."

"No it's not. Come on inside and-"

She was abruptly cut off when Impa stepped into the garden and said quite audibly, "Princess. Your father wishes to see you immediately…and I'm quite sure that if he was aware that Mr. Link was here, that he would expect you to bring him with you."

Zelda looked a bit confused and I was pretty confused myself. Why would the king want to see me?

Impa exited the garden and Zelda turned to face me. "W-we…uh…better go and see what he needs."

"Yeah, but, I'm sure that it's nothing." I said trying to reassure her.

Zelda sighed deeply and I took her hand and led her out of the garden and into the castle's main hall where another set of guards stood waiting to usher us into the throne room. This pair of guards looked even more surprised to see me than the ones at the main gate. What in the world was going on here? Everybody except Zelda seemed to believe that I was never going to return to Hyrule after I finished the King's little 'mission'.

As the two of us entered the doors that the guards swung open in front of us, my eyes caught sight of the vast room in which the King awaited our arrival and I suddenly felt extremely small and insignificant compared to the size of everything in this room. This throne room was enormous; the ceiling was extremely high and the stonewalls were lined with stained-glass windows and tapestries from all over the world. Every step that either Zelda or I took, made a sound on the marble floor tiles and it echoed back at us throughout the immense, open room.

Around thirty yards straight ahead of us were several flights of steps that led up to the throne. It was made of solid gold and had numerous designs of the Triforce engraved around its shimmering golden frame. The King sat upon his throne, staring down in our direction with a look of astonishment plastered across his aged features. I guessed that the reason he was so surprised to see me was because he, like everyone else here, for some reason unknown to me, didn't suppose that I was going to return to this place.

There was another man standing at the King's side that I didn't recognize. He obviously wasn't a guard because he wore somewhat of a mix between a knight and a king's clothing. His long auburn hair was tied back into a ponytail and a neatly shaven goatee snaked its way across his chin. He, not unlike the King, stared down at Zelda and I like he knew something that we were not yet aware of. Like there was some sort of inside joke going on between he and Zelda's father.

When the King finally spoke up, his words seemed to slice through the tension that filled the room. "I'm glad that you are here Zelda, but I am quite surprised to see you too, Link."

Before I could question his comment about me, Zelda cut in, in a slightly raised and irritable tone. "Who's he?" As she said this she turned her gaze to the man standing next to her father.

The King seemed to overlook the anger in her voice and he introduced the stranger to she and I. "Zelda, this is Arwin. He is the prince, and future ruler of the Kingdom of Faylenne."

As the King said this, Arwin approached Zelda and, after taking a polite bow in front of her, took her hand and attempted to kiss it, but she jerked it away and she took a small step back before he had a chance to touch his lips to her bare hand. She glanced up into my eyes and I could tell that she desperately wished that she had chosen to wear gloves today.

He stood once more and looked at me smugly and, once again, I felt as if everyone in this room was in on something, and Zelda and I were completely clueless. I glared at him until the King spoke once more. "Arwin is here because his father and I made an…'arrangement' so to speak, when you were both small children."

Zelda appeared even more irritated than the moment before when she crossed her arms across her chest and spoke again. "And just what in the Goddesses names is _that_ is that supposed to mean?"

"It means that Arwin's father and I come to an agreement in which all of our land can be combined and be dictated under one common ruler."

I spoke up for the first time now. "But what exactly does that mean for Zelda?"

"Zelda and Arwin are to be married."

(A.N.) Hazah! I am FINALLY finished with another chappie! Soooooo sorry about the long wait peoples. My stupid computer crapped out on me. (kicks computer) Maybe my ninja bunny Hairy who lives behind my computer has been chewing on some of the wires. (Looks at bunny who is whistling like he has no idea what I'm talking about) Oh well. sigh At least I got this new chappie up. Take my advice people: NEVER trust a 10 foot tall, 250 pound, purple ninja bunny! (Hairy looks sad) Sorry hairy…but it just had to be said. Anyway PLEASE REVIEW and sorry again about the extremely long wait!

-punkiemonkie-


	5. Chapter Five

**My Midnight Angel**

_Previously…_

"_It means that Arwin's father and I come to an agreement in which all of our land can be combined and be dictated under one common ruler."_

_I spoke up for the first time now. "But what exactly does that mean for Zelda?"_

"_Zelda and Arwin are to be married."_

**Chapter Five**

Upon hearing these words spill from the Kings mouth, I was temporarily robbed of speech, but Zelda was not. In fact, her words came out almost instantly and in a state of rage. "No! How could you do this to me father?" Her fists were clenched tightly and as she yelled and her words echoed back at us. I could see tears of hate welling up in her eyes and my heart began to race with fury.

The King seemed completely adamant about Zelda's actions and he continued to speak in the same calm tone that he had used before. "Zelda, darling, you knew this was coming. Every princess must marry a prince that her parents arrange for her. It's a tradition that has been passed down from generation to generation because it is necessary to expand our family's kingdom."

"To hell with the kingdom!"

I was slightly surprised at the language that Zelda used; not only was it improper for a princess to curse, but she never talked like this, and especially not in front of her father. I guess all of the rules of royalty had gone out the window the moment her father presented the idea of an arranged marriage to her.

Zelda's father still kept his composure despite the fact that his daughter was becoming enraged. "Now Zelda, please try and understand. This has to be done."

Arwin then stepped forward and gave Zelda what he must have thought was his best 'innocent' look while taking her hand once again. "My dear princess," he started with his utterly fake foreign accent oozing through his words, "I promise to take the best care of you when you become my beautiful wife."

He tried to kiss her hand again but this time I stepped between them and shoved Arwin away from her without saying anything, but instead, giving him an intent glare of pure hatred. I positively could not stand to see another man touch Zelda, and especially not right in front of me.

Instead of continuing this downward-spiraling conversation with her father, Zelda stomped her foot against the floor, making a loud clank as she shouted, "I am not going to marry him!" then she turned abruptly, sprinted out of the room and slammed the huge wooden doors behind her.

Before I proceeded to follow her out of the castle, I looked at the arrogant man in front of me and said in a gruff, disgusted voice, "I'm not going to allow you to do this to her, 'Prince' Arwin. Zelda deserves to marry someone who loves her, not some rich royal bastard like you." With that I turned and dashed out of the room in pursuit of Zelda.

I figured that wherever Zelda was going, she would have to be taking her white stallion to get there, so I started off in a full sprint in the direction of the palace stables. By the time I made it inside the stables, the main gate was flung open wide and Zelda and her horse were both inexplicably absent.

Epona whinnied brightly at my entrance and pawed at the gate like she knew what was going on, so I let her out as fast as possible. I didn't even bother to strap on her saddle, I just swung myself onto her back, thrust my heels into her sides, and took off at top speed riding bareback.

When I got out into the open field, I could barely make out what appeared to be a small cloud of dust hovering over a hill that lay off in the distance. The cloud of dust was most likely caused by Zelda's horse, so I knew that if I followed it, I could eventually catch up with her.

Zelda was a pretty fast rider, so when I finally caught up with her, I ended up in Lake Hylia. She was out on the little island that lay in the middle of the lake and was connected to the land by a wooden bridge. When I got close enough, I could see Zelda sitting under the giant oak tree with her face resting in her hands, sobbing quietly.

As I approached her, she looked up at me with a look of pure helplessness looming in her eyes. The tears that trailed down her creamy, porcelain cheeks reflected off of the sun that was rapidly disappearing behind the hills that lay beyond the lake. My heart ached within my chest at the sight of her; I hated seeing her upset, especially when I could do nothing about it. I attempted to choke back my emotions for her benefit. It would just make her feel worse if she knew that I was taking this news just as hard as she was. I needed to keep my composure if I was going to try and make her feel better about all of this.

As I crouched down on the ground near her, she let herself fall into my arms. She nearly knocked me over, but I managed to sit up and lean against the large tree trunk. Her arms were wrapped around my torso tightly, so it was hard for me to sit comfortably, but I didn't mind in the least bit. Whenever Zelda was upset, it was like she needed to hold on to something, like a small child holds on to a doll or a teddy bear when they're frightened, and lately, she seemed to want to hold on to me.

When she finally started speaking to me, I almost was unable to hear her since her face was still buried in my chest. "Oh Link…I hate this…"

I ran my fingers through her thick, silky cornflower hair as I spoke in almost a whisper. "I know Zel…I hate it too…" I constantly had to remind myself to keep my emotions in check while I talked to her because tears had started welling up in my own eyes as I began to soak in the enormity of this situation: The woman that I loved, was going to have to marry some filthy rich prince, who could never love her or take care of her in the way that I could. She was going to have to marry, and live out the rest of her life with some guy that she didn't even know, and all I could do was to sit back and watch as my heart and hers are ripped to shreds by the hands of the law, and her own father.

"All I want to do is be with you…" after saying that she broke down into another wave of tears and clung to me much tighter than before.

Then it hit me. All that either of us ever wanted to do was to be together. It wasn't fair. Every time that we tried to be together, something always managed to tear us apart. No matter how hard we tried, fate never allowed us to be together. Right at that moment, I made a decision. Nothing, and no one, was ever going to keep us from each other, even if it meant the death of us both.

**(A.N.) **Hurray another chappie completed! Wheeeee! I know this one was EXTREMELY short, but I just had to end the chapter with that last line. Anyway, you know the routine; you've already read it, so now it's time to review.

Thx-Punkiemonkie


	6. Chapter Six

**IMPORTANT (A.N.) This chappie will be in ZELDA'S P.O.V.**

**My Midnight Angel**

**Chapter Six**

So Link and I sat there, all alone under that tree by the lake; watching the sun set, contemplating our future, and just enjoying being in each other's presence. Somehow, while I was sitting there, resting in the arms of the man that I loved, I felt safe. All of the problems and fears of the future just drifted away and there was only him and the warmth of his arms wrapped around me. My head still lay on his chest and I could feel him breathing calmly whilst I listened to the steady rhythm of his heart beating.

How does he do this to me? I can be having the worst day of my life, or up to my ears with nervous energy; and just one mere glance from him and everything around me disappears and I completely forget about what was wrong. I get lost in those beautiful azure eyes of his, and every time I see him, I just can't help but fall even more in love with him. He just has that charm about him. I may have been able to marry just anyone before I met Link, but I most certainly can't do it now. Now that I know what real love is like, I just couldn't be with anyone other than Link. And that night; that one, magical night that I spent with him, I will never forget it. It was just so unbelievably amazing. Link is truly talented in the art of love making. I could have almost sworn that he had practice in that area, but I know for an absolute fact that that night with me was his, and my, first time.

When I returned from my blissful thoughts and back into reality, Link was staring down at me with a curious expression plastered across his face. For a moment, I felt slightly embarrassed; I must have been laying there for a long without saying anything, which was probably the cause of the look that Link was currently giving me.

"Zel…are you okay?" he said while cocking an eyebrow in confusion.

I giggled slightly before speaking. "Oh…sorry Link. I guess I just got lost in my thoughts."

He grinned mischievously. "Were they about me?"

I punched him playfully in the arm, but he didn't even flinch of the massive bicep that covered his upper arm. "I'm not going to tell you," I said while poking a finger in the middle of his chest and turning my nose up in defiance.

Link tried to give me a pitiful look. "Come on Zel, tell me. Please?"

"No." I said giggling while he lowered his head down to my neck and gave me a soft kiss there.

"Come on, really, I want to know what you were thinking. You know that you can always tell me anything." His kisses trailed up and down my neck and he occasionally stopped to nibble at the base of my ear, talking to me between his kisses.

"Well…I was thinking about…well...you know…the other night…" I then found myself giggling nervously and I could feel my cheeks suddenly turn a light shade of pink.

Link stopped kissing my collar bone and moved back up so that we were eye-level once again before he spoke. "I…uh…never really got to…ask you…what you thought…about that…" he said while giving me a genuine smile blushing even more noticeably than me.

"It was perfect." I said before playfully tapping the tip of his nose with my index finger.

His smile widened and his oceanic eyes shown as he looked at me. I suppose it made him feel good to know that I thought that he was an amazing lover. "Good." He said almost somewhat proudly, and with that, he gave me a tender kiss on my lips and then looked back into my eyes.

"This is funny, you know?" I began, while threading my fingers through his messy blond locks that were constantly being whipped around by the cool, sweet smelling breeze. I noticed right away when I saw him today that he had inexplicably left his green hood out of his dressings. I wondered vaguely if he had lost it while he was on his journey, but I figured that the reason for it being gone was most likely because he feared that I would snatch it away from him again.

"What is?" he asked without moving to look at me but instead letting his eyes close lazily.

"You, me, us, being here together, this whole situation; I mean, I'm supposed to be getting married to some dim-witted prince, and yet I'm out here with you." I smiled at the thought.

His eyes opened almost regretfully and his expression abruptly turned solemn. "But…your father will come after you eventually."

"I know. So…until then…?"

Link's smile returned as he finished my sentence. "Until then…we do this…" He then pressed his lips softly on my own. I was a little surprised at first that he was kissing me. I thought for sure that he would be more afraid than me that someone would see us out there. I don't even want to think about what my father would do if he saw Link and I in this position. Daddy didn't even like the idea of me talking to Link, let alone swapping spit with him!

Suddenly I was too busy with the fact that Link was deepening our kiss that I forgot where we were or the fact that, at any given moment, anyone could look over and see us going at it.

His tongue traced over my bottom lip as he pushed me down onto the lush grass beneath us. I was lost in the feeling of his body hovering over mine, and consequently my hands slipped behind his neck, causing him to press up against me gently. Before I knew it, his tongue had made its way into my mouth and my hands roamed his back and eventually they moved over his toned, muscular chest, causing him to shiver in pleasure.

There was so much heat forming between our mouths and our bodies that I felt like I could melt. Our kiss was fierce and intimate, almost as so, as the ones that we shared during our one night of passion. One of his hands cupped my cheek while the other traced the curve of my hip through my dress with the tips of his fingers. My hands, which were previously wrapped around his neck, now found a new interest: running through his golden tresses of hair. He undoubtedly liked this action a lot, because in no time he was moaning and sighing deeply into my mouth, and began kissing me even more fervently than before.

I nearly forgot about how worried I was that someone would catch us here, but to put it quite bluntly, I didn't care anymore. Why should I care what anyone thinks about Link and I being together? Because I'm a princess, that's why. I have to keep up a 'good image' so that the people of Hyrule will trust me to be their leader.

I can still hear my father's words echoing back at me, "Zelda, you must try to understand, you are a princess, and with that comes a certain level of responsibility that you must uphold. Royalty, like yourself, should not go out gallivanting around with some, 'fairy boy'. It's just not proper for a young lady of your status."

His words taunt me. They keep me in my own personal prison of etiquette; and I hate it. I want, nay, I _need _to get out of it, but I know that that can never come true. My life is most certainly _not_ a fairytale. Even though Link makes me feel that way sometimes, I cannot escape my destiny, my fate, unless by a miracle; a miracle that I have been waiting, wishing, and hoping for, for as long as I can remember.

When ourkiss finally ended, we both pulled away breathlessly, and took some much-needed gasps of air. Before letting me up, Link gave me another kiss on my forehead, and then rolled over and sprawled out on the ground beside me.

Once my breathing returned to normal, I turned over and snuggled up to his body while placing my head and hand on his broad chest. I felt a smile creep across my lips as his arm made its way around my neck to rest on my shoulder and pull me further into his embrace. My eyes slowly fluttered closed as I basked in his warmth and I drifted off into a peaceful slumber, if only it would have lasted…

Link and I were both instantly awakened, after who knows how long, by the sound of the loud, furious voice that belonged to none other than my father. His irate tone of voice was unmistakable. He was sitting atop one of his many white horses, and was accompanied by two of his personal guards, and, to my dismay, Arwin was also with them. That was the last thing that I wanted to see at that moment: some stuck up prince who thought he was going to marry me just because he had a lot of land and money. I was going to prove him wrong if it was the last thing I did.

Yes, it does sound like I'm being a bit harsh on Arwin, but trust me; I know what he's really like when no one else is looking. Sadie, my childhood friend knows about him better than anyone. A few years ago, Arwin tricked her into having a one night stand with him, after he told her that he loved her and they were going to get married when they got older, and the next morning he took off and left her without so much as a farewell. So I already know that the guy is a total and complete jerk, and there's no way that I'm going to even look at someone who hurt my friend and who knows how many other girls. Unfortunately, my father knows none of these horrid events, and I figure that even if I told him, he would refuse to believe me.

My father looked enraged at Link and I, but Arwin just sat there off to the side with that smug grin of his that I loathed. Even though he kept a straight face, I could tell that he was undoubtedly furious to see that Link was here with me. My father wasn't too pleased with us either. "Zelda! Just what in the goddesses' names are you doing out here? I forbade you to see this man and you directly defied my order! What were you thinking?"

Link and I got up off of the ground and stood before my infuriated father. He looked like he wanted to say something in defense to my father, but I spoke up first. "I was thinking that I'd rather be out here with Link, than getting married to some stupid prince!"

Arwin turned to my father and said smugly, "Your daughter is quite defiant, but never fear my Liege," he looked in my direction out of the corner of his eye and then finished, "I shall just have to break that nasty little habit of hers when we are wed." He winked and smiled at me, but I glared spitefully at him.

Soon after, my father spoke more calmly to me. "Zelda, sweetheart, please, come back to the castle so we can discuss all of this. Your little, 'friend', Link can accompany you if you wish. We'll have a nice dinner and he can stay the night if he pleases." He tried to fake a genuine smile, but I could see right through it.

He had to be up to something, but I decided to take a chance. Maybe this extra time would give Link and I a chance to figure out what we were going to do about all of this. Link locked eyes with me to let me know that he would agree with what I was thinking, so I nodded and turned to the others. "Fine; but I don't want _him_ anywhere near me." I said firmly while looking directly at Arwin. "And Daddy, you have to leave Link alone, I don't want you two getting into anything. Just stay away from each other, okay?" I folded my arms across my chest as I laid down my rules for the night.

My father sighed in recognition. "Okay dear, Arwin's quarters will be in the opposite end of the castle as your room, and I won't harm Link. Now will you please just come home with me?"

Link stepped up beside me and touched my arm affectionately. "Yeah, _we_ will go back with you." I smiled slightly when he used the word 'we'.

**Later That Night**

I was a bit concerned about Link when he retired to his room without any dinner. He said he was tired, but I thought that I should go and check on him anyway. The only problem with that idea was if my father saw me going to his room at night, he would know that something was going on. Because of this, I decided to wait until midnight, and then sneak out of my bedroom, and into Link's.

At ten-minutes-until-midnight, I decided to make my move. I stuffed some pillows underneath my sheets on my bed, to deceive any maids that may decide to check up on me. In nothing but a thin, light blue nightgown that barely came to my knees, I slipped out of my room and gently shut the door behind me. My bare feet were silent on the marble-tiled floor as I crept down the dimly-lit hallway to Link's room. Around halfway to my destination, I stopped instantly at the sound of voices down the hall in my father's room. I took a left turn and followed the sound until I reached the half-open door that led into the room inside. The voices belonged to my father and Arwin, and neither of them sounded too pleased. I could barely make out their conversation…

"I'm sorry Arwin. I really thought that my plan would work."

"Well it didn't work very well did it? You promised me that you would get rid of Zelda's little boyfriend, and yet he is here! I thought you said that he would die on those little errands that you sent him on, but he is back with little more than a scratch!"

"I didn't know that he would be so strong! I thought for sure that he wouldn't survive!"

"Well then maybe I'll just have to take care of him myself."

"No. That would be too messy and it would leave a trail a mile long. Zelda's a smart girl; she would figure it out in no time. It's just too risky."

"You promised me your daughter's hand in marriage, and I will get it one way or another."

I could hear footsteps coming out of the room, so I ducked behind the nearest corner and waited for them to pass while I stood perfectly still and held my breath. I couldn't believe it. Arwin and my father had plotted together to try and kill Link! I had to tell him right away.


	7. Chapter Seven

**My Midnight Angel**

**Chapter Seven**

(Link's P.O.V.)

All evening I had been lying on that huge feathery bed, thinking, wondering about the events of my life that were being played out before me. Now it was midnight, and I was trying desperately to get to sleep. Just a measly few seconds had passed since my eyes had closed, when I my ears perked up at the sound of a light tapping on my door. At first, I was frustrated and annoyed with the fact that I couldn't get any sleep, but when the simple fact that it was most likely Zelda at the door had occurred to me, I relaxed. Maybe not getting any sleep tonight wouldn't be a bad thing… We could stay up all night and- I snapped out of my thoughts when another tapping came from the door.

Sighing, I sat up in the bed and ran my fingers through my messy hair and across my face to fully wake myself up. I slid out of bed in nothing but my underwear, and strode across the room to open the door, praying silently that it would be Zelda and not her pissed father carrying some sort of deadly weapon.

The wooden door creaked as it swung open, revealing Zelda's figure clothed only in a short, silk nightgown that accentuated every curve of her body. Her golden hair fell down neatly over her shoulders and her sapphire eyes sparkled in the moonlight that glowed as it came through the window and translucent curtains behind us. I leaned my elbow up against the doorway and tried to make my voice sound as deep and sexy as possible seeing as I figured that she had come to my room for some 'fun'.

"Hey baby-umph." I was interrupted when her hand clamped over my mouth and she pushed me inside the room and shut and locked the door behind us. She let go of my mouth a moment later and I smiled mischievously at her. "A little eager, are we?-umph." Her hand cut my speech off again.

I thought maybe she was just messing around with me, but she looked serious. She whispered while not taking her hand off of my mouth again. "Link, shhh. Be quiet, you're going to wake someone up."

When she removed her hand once more, I spoke immediately. "Zel-" I must have still been talking too loudly because I instantaneously got another 'shhh' from her. The next words from my mouth were almost so quiet that even I could barely hear them myself. "Zelda, why are you acting so strangely What's going on?"

"Link, listen. On my way down here to see you I heard my father and Arwin talking."

She was already confusing me. "But what does that have to do with us?"

"I heard my father say that the only reason that he sent you out on those little 'errands' of his was because he had hoped something bad would happen to you."

"I don't understand. What could have possibly happened?"

"He wanted you to die out there, Link."

"W-what? What do you mean?"

"His whole plan was for you to go on those 'missions' and die so that you wouldn't come back, he would appear totally innocent, and I would have no other choice but to marry Arwin. My father and Arwin are in this together. Daddy wants to get rid of you so I would marry a prince, and Arwin wants to have me for his wife, so they came to an agreement in which they could both get what they want. They've been plotting against us together!"

Suddenly I was rendered completely speechless. I knew that something was up when he allowed me a chance to stay here with Zelda, but I would never have expected anything like this.

Zelda sighed and continued to speak while I tried to wrap my mind around this whole ordeal. "Now I don't know what to do. I would have expected something like this from Arwin, but not from my own father. How could he do something like this? Why would he try to kill the only man I've ever loved? Doesn't he care about what I want; what I need?"

I stopped thinking about the hopelessness of the situation when I heard Zelda begin to cry. I wrapped my arms around her and held her tightly against my torso, her head resting under my chin. The last thing I wanted was for her to get upset about this, but even in my embrace a few warm tears escaped from her eyes and streamed down her cheeks and onto my bare chest.

In the silence, I finally became aware of just how exhausted I really was, so I lifted her off the ground and walked over to the bed. I lay down on my back and she hugged herself to my body, sobbing quiet, hopeless tears. She had been doing a lot of this lately, too much, and I needed to change it. Somehow, someway, I just had to make everything all right for her.

I knew that I should probably get her back to her room before someone noticed that she was missing, but I just didn't have the heart to tell her that she needed to leave. What was I supposed to do? She came into my room to tell me about what she heard, and now she was in tears. I couldn't just tell her to go back to her room, even if I knew that if her father walked in on us lying on the bed together, he would tear my head off.

Just a few moments after we had been lying on the bed while I was thinking, Zelda's tears ceased, and her breathing distinctly slowed as she drifted off into a peaceful sleep in my arms. The feeling of her sleeping on quietly on my chest, in addition to my weariness soon got the best of me. My eyes shut slowly but willingly as I took a deep yawn, and I joined the sleeping woman lying next to me in a much-needed slumber.

(A.N.) Another short chappie, dang it. I really meant for this one to be longer like the first one, but yet again, it didn't turn out the way I had planned. Anyway, this chappie is pretty boring, but I guess it explains some stuff that is to come in the future. Oh well… Criticize me if you must. I'll try my best to make the next chappie way more interesting that this one. Until then,

-Punkiemonkie-


End file.
